THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TOOLS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING IN SCHOOLCHILDREN'S GEOGRAPHY STUDIES

Abstract

The digitalization of school education expands access to cartographic and statistical data; however, it does not in itself ensure the development of students’ critical thinking in geography learning. The relevance of the study is determined by a contradiction between the growing use of digital resources in lessons and the insufficient methodological elaboration of their application as a means of forming students’ analytical, evaluative, and argumentative skills. The aim of the article is to theoretically substantiate and empirically identify the impact of digital tools on the development of school students’ critical thinking in the process of studying geography. The methodology is based on a pedagogical experiment comparing an experimental group (EG, n = 45) and a control group (CG, n = 55) conducted in 2017–2020, teacher surveys, analysis of instructional and diagnostic geography tasks, and results of summative assessment (SOR/SOCH). In the experimental group, digital tools were used in an activity-based format (interactive maps and layers, web quests, interactive tests/quizzes, and mini-projects with data visualization), while the control group was taught predominantly using traditional methods. The results demonstrate a more pronounced positive dynamic in the experimental group: the proportion of students with a high level increased from 20.0% to 35.5%, while the share with a low level decreased from 24.4% to 15.5%. In the control group, changes were less substantial, with the low level remaining at 23.6% at the final stage. A proxy assessment based on a critical thinking rubric indicates a greater increase in the integral indicator in the experimental group compared to the control group. The study concludes that digital tools enhance educational outcomes when they are integrated into tasks focused on data analysis, source verification, and argumentation; the practical significance lies in the development of methodological scenarios and assessment criteria for critical thinking in school geography.